CHAPTER 384: CHAPTER 383: TIRED IN BODY, WEARY AT HEART

Gu Xiaoqing really fell ill when she got home.

The next day she couldn’t even make it to school. Gu Xiaoqing felt chills throughout the night, alternating between cold and hot, and by the next day, she was down with a fever and just lay there.

Guo Donghua had no idea because the two agreed to meet at school.

When school ended in the afternoon and still no sign of her, Guo Donghua was furious.

Storming over to Gu Xiaoqing’s house, she knocked on the door for a long time, and only when Guo Donghua thought no one was there did the door finally open.

Inside was Gu Xiaoqing, her face flushed from the fever.

Guo Donghua was taken aback.

She helped Gu Xiaoqing to the bed.

"Look at what you’ve done to yourself, putting yourself through all this," she chided Gu Xiaoqing while searching the cabinet for cold medicine and fever reducers.

There wasn’t even hot water in the kettle, so Guo Donghua boiled a pot and managed to get some medicine into Gu Xiaoqing.

She also cooked a pot of porridge, knowing well that Gu Xiaoqing probably hadn’t eaten anything all day and night, and her cooking skills only extended to plain rice porridge.

She went out to buy some fruits and vegetables, not knowing what a patient like Gu Xiaoqing could eat, so she basically bought whatever.

Lying in bed, Gu Xiaoqing felt much better.

Seeing Guo Donghua busying around, she felt a bit apologetic, for being such a trouble as soon as she got back, and truly felt bad about it.

"What’s really going on with you?"

Guo Donghua peeled an apple for Gu Xiaoqing and handed it to the woman lying in bed who looked a bit weak, and asked curiously.

Gu Xiaoqing didn’t seem just like she had a cold, it was more like she had collapsed after losing support.

"I guess I’ve just been too tired lately, and the moment I relaxed, my whole body started protesting and screaming for rest. A couple of days of rest should do it." Gu Xiaoqing knew well that it wasn’t anything serious, just that it had rained and gotten a bit cold the previous day, and her laxity led to such severe reactions.

"Don’t dodge the question. With all the years of friendship, you say don’t ask, I won’t ask; you say take time off, I take time off, but what’s the real deal? Otherwise, I’ll be worried sick." Guo Donghua wouldn’t let Gu Xiaoqing off the hook easily.

Gu Xiaoqing smiled and shook her head; she really didn’t have many friends, and even fewer female friends, and Guo Donghua was probably one of those unintentional close friends.

A bit of a gossip, too.

"I’ve been taking care of Fang Shaohan."

Gu Xiaoqing recounted what she’d been up to, since it wasn’t a secret and didn’t involve any national secrets, it was no big deal to talk about it.

Guo Donghua listened and slapped her knee, saying, "You’re something else. There must be something going on between you and Fang Shaohan, right? I thought your relationship wasn’t just platonic; the way he looks at you isn’t just the gaze of a friend but more like how a man looks at a woman."

She looked so eager to dig up all the secrets.

"There’s really nothing going on between us. As for your nonsense about a fling or whatnot, our friendship is pure and nothing as dirty as you imagine."

Gu Xiaoqing struggled to explain, still unwilling to associate herself with Fang Shaohan deep down.

She couldn’t help but think that at this time, Fang Shaohan should be having dinner, and she wondered how Jiang Limin was helping Fang Shaohan with his rehabilitation.

When she came back to herself, Gu Xiaoqing couldn’t help but regret, what was she doing?

What business was it of hers whether he did his rehab or not?

With a beauty like Jiang Limin around to care for him, there’s no need for her to worry.

Guo Donghua smirked, "You just keep playing tough. If you have no feelings for Fang Shaohan, would you take care of a friend for half a year, trying every possible way to inspire and help him recover? I’ve never seen a friend care this much for another friend.

Besides, you’re making too much of a fuss; what an opportunity! All the match-making and family background issues aside, his parents surely couldn’t be happier with you now. This is the perfect chance.

It’s the classic case of both parties having feelings for each other, so why all the hesitation? You’re Fang Shaohan’s savior; he could repay that life-saving grace by being with you.

Yet you pushed Jiang Limin into the picture. Is that how you do things? If I were Fang Shaohan, I’d be coming over to demand an explanation from you, such a heartless woman, what for?"

Guo Donghua couldn’t understand Gu Xiaoqing’s concerns, so from an outsider’s point of view, she really thought Gu Xiaoqing had issues.

Being hesitant about love wasn’t like Gu Xiaoqing at all, and Guo Donghua didn’t understand what she was worried about.

But Gu Xiaoqing couldn’t say that she feared encountering a man like Fu Guoqiang from her past, abusive, once bitten, twice shy.

Gu Xiaoqing took a bite of the apple, the sweet and sour taste seemed to soothe the irritation in her throat.

"You don’t understand, what Fang Shaohan and I have isn’t just between the two of us. Think about it, being on equal social standing is also a factor. Maybe it’s not an issue now, and his parents have accepted me, but there’s also the issue between Fang Shaonan, Fang Shaohan, and me. Even though it’s not something I deliberately caused, from the outside, it looks like two brothers falling for a woman.

Now, because of Fang Shaohan’s parents’ gratitude, nothing seems to matter, but later on, when life gets tough, perhaps this will become a fuse, or something to talk about.

And while there’s no question that Fang Shaohan likes me, we’re also in a time of free love, but Jiang Limin isn’t just a casual choice, she’s likely the favored granddaughter-in-law chosen by his grandparents. And she’s just one Jiang Limin; who knows how many more Jiang Limins there could be.

You have no idea how many women came to visit the hospital room those days; they all come from backgrounds I can’t compete with.

Can a woman really live a lifetime just with a man’s affection? Definitely not. Later, when Fang Shaohan remembers how many choices he once had and gave them up for me, will you still be willing to live that life?

In good times, nobody thinks about it, but when things go wrong, this will likely be the first thing brought up.

I don’t want to battle a whole family alone; that’s too exhausting, and it’s already exhausting enough right now. If I want to be with Fang Shaohan, I have to face dealing with his grandparents, not to mention those distant relatives with their opinions.

And they’re not exactly friendly people. Do you think that’s not exhausting? Do you want that?"

Guo Donghua was stunned.